The present application is based on Korean Patent Application No. 35288/1995 which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
The present invention relates to a character display apparatus for an intelligence television. More specifically, the present invention relates to a character display apparatus which enables textual and/or other information from a communication service to be simultaneously displayed on the intelligence television with a broadcast signal.
An intelligence television includes an information processing system which is connected to a value added communication network (VAN) to enable it to receive communication data from the VAN. After receiving such information, the processing system outputs red, green, and blue (RGB) information signals which correspond to the communication data and outputs a related switching control signal. The television also contains RGB switches located inside the television receiver for switching between television RGB signals received via an antenna and the RGB information signals output from the information processing system. In particular, the RGB switches switch between the two types of RGB signals in accordance with the switching control signal output from the processing system.
Since communication information relating to various communication services (e.g. securities information, news, weather, and television programming information) can be transmitted via a VAN and viewed on an intelligence television, a viewer who is not skilled in computers can conveniently obtain the communication information. However, the intelligence television cannot display the communication information immediately after it is received and cannot display it while the viewer is watching a broadcast television program. Accordingly, an apparatus which enables a viewer to view the communication information while it is being received and/or view such information simultaneously with a broadcast television program is needed.
In order to overcome the above disadvantages, an object of the present invention is to provide a character display apparatus for an intelligence television in which characters can be displayed on the top or bottom of a screen and move from one side of the screen to the other side of the screen while a viewer is watching television.
In order to achieve the above object, a character display apparatus for an intelligence television which is capable of simultaneously displaying a television broadcast signal and a communication signal corresponding to communication service information supplied via a value added communication network is provided. In particular, the display apparatus comprises: an information processing system which receives said communication service information from said value added communication network and outputs a corresponding screen information signal and a switching control signal; signal switching means for selecting and switching between said screen information signal and said television broadcast signal based on said switching control signal and for outputting a corresponding selected signal; a display driver which inputs said selected signal, superimposes an on screen display signal onto said selected signal to produce a superimposed signal, and outputs said superimposed signal to a display; and a microcomputer which outputs an actuating signal to instruct said information processing system to receive said communication service information from said value added communication network and which outputs said on screen display signal to said display driver.
Accordingly, the viewer can view the communication service information while simultaneously watching television. Also, since the information may be displayed as a line of characters which successively moves across the screen, displaying the characters on a limited portion of the screen is possible.